Space-band for linotype-machines.



T. H. KNAPP. SPACE BAND FOR LINOTYPE MACHINES. APPLICATION TILED APR. 23, 1913.

1 978 049 Patented N0v.11, 1913.

THOMAS H. KNAPP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPACE-BAND FOR- LINOTYPE-MACHINE S.

lie it known that l, 'luouts KNArr, a citizen oi the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ot'lllinois, ha\e invented a certain new and uselul linprovemcnt iii SPlll'C-Blllllll for .liinotype-i'llachiiies, oi which the tollmving is a specilieat ion. i

'this invention relates to matrix setting machines and particularly to the space bands of liiiotype machines, particularly those of the type now in extensive use, manufaclured by the ltlergenthale'r Linotype oinpany.

ln matrix setting by machinery ticularly by the aid of the mentioned, the machine is provided with a plurality of type matrices which are, 'on pressing the keys of the 'i'nachine, released down into an assembling device. When the operator reaches the end of a word, he presses a key which 'l'eeds down, adjacent to he last matrix, a space band, the details of which will be hereafter described. \Vhen the matrices and space bands tor all the words of a single line are in place, the space bands are, lb some particular point in the machine, simultaneously n'iaiiipulated to justify or, in other words, con'ipletely space the entire line. In actual practice the matrices containing the dies for the type are made of brass, while the space bands have to be made of the strongest possible material which is a high grade steel, this because in the first place, they have to fall about thirteen or fourteen inches at one point in the machine and also have to he repeated'ly and accurately manipulated in us tify'ing successive lines in which they are repeatedly used. If. these space bandswere made of any soft and easily wearable material like brass or copper, their life would be so short that. the expense would be pro hibi'tive, for such soft metal could not possibly stand the hard usage to which these par ts'are subjected.

'zfn a machine of the class described, when the plurality of matrices and interposed space "bands have been jllSt'lfiOtl .toforni a line, they are presented to a casting inachine which casts soft.- metal in the form of the type dieson'the successivematrices. The type metal does not adhei to the matrices bntit is found in practice that it does repeatedly adhere. to he sides ot' the steel and parmachines above spaceha-nds So that in the course of a day 1 high pi has a tendency to adhere to them.

which metal will i of the space bands,

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 23,1913,

Patented Nov. 11, 1913. Serial No. 763,116.

[run of a machine of theclass described,

during which time each space band isiised in many ditl'erent lines of type, the band acquires a gradually incraising little mountain of type metal on its side which makes the band too wide and causes it to improperly space the matrices with resulting crushing of the adjoining matrix when the pressure'ior lockingup the matrices and space bands is exerted in the ordinary manner by the machine! metal on the sides of the space bands, therefore, thus has a tendency to destroy the matrices which come in contact with a space band so loaded with type metal and inaddition to this, the metal on the space band at one point may leave a little crack ateach side of it between the space band and the matrix in which, when the type casting operation takes place, type metal may flow and thus cast a little hair line or bur adjacent to the letter formed by the die on the mallJX which is adjacent to the space bend. Again when two matrices have described, i. tn, crushed on edges which come adjacent to the type line, and they are, in setting a following line, set in proximity to *ach other, thereis obviously formed a space or hole between these crushed matrices in which there is again cast a hair line or bur which is a defect in the cast line made by the machine. This defect 'is well described in'a circular issued by the linotype company calling attention to the necessity of repeated cleaning of the space bands as follows: FThe hot metal, being cast repeatedly against the small wed es,

the accumulation of metal forms protuberance which, it permitted to remain, will break in the side wall of the adjacent matrix, thus forming a depression into low the next time thata slight matrix is used. fins or burs on the face of the slug between the letters. which are bound to show as hair .lines on the printed page, giving it a blurred appearance. This is a very serious defect with machines of this class and itis neces I in a previoi'is setting ot a line been crushed in the manner,

their sides or In time This will resultin raised,

This accumulating of type sary to either employ one man to do nothing but visit successive inachines,-take out all i the space hands and with pro er toolsclean the accumulated type met-a1 iiom the sides or it is necessary for the it ed operator of the machine to llllll self stop the machine and do this. In either t case considerable expense is-involved both in the wages of the employee and the loss of time of the machine itself. This is, however, not all of the damage or expense created by this accumulation of metal upon the space bands for when the matrices .or any considerable number of them have been thus' crushed-in the manner described, they are entirely worthless even for the most careless and least painstaking, small country printing oflice and as the matrices at the present market cost $7 5.00 a set, it will be seen that this is a serious matter.

-The.object of this invention is to modify the construction of the space bands of the type described so that while maintaining thenecessary strength and fine ad ustment {which they must possess, the accumulation of type metal in the. manner described is entirely done away with, with the resulting eliminationiof substantially all of the losses above enumerated. a a The invention consists in a device capable of carrying out the fore oing objects whiph can be easily and cheap y made andsatlsfactorily operated to accomplish the desired'resultand'is not readily liable to get out of order; k

It more particularly consists in modifying the s ace band-of the required high strength meta by inserting right at the point where the type metal accumulates a piece of another metal-which does not have the propertywhich steel has of accumulating type metal. I

It also-"consists in other features which will be-mo're fully set, forth in the specification and claims.

, In the drawings inwhich similar nu-" mer'alsindicate the same parts throughout the severalviews, Figure 1 is a perspective view of. a'"space ba'nd now commercially in use-in the linotype machines of the class described, to which my invention in. its prefer'rediorm has been applied. Fig. 2 is a face View of a plurality of matrices set inposition ready for use, one of the devices of my invention being-inserted between the two words New and York. In Fig. 3 is shown one of the devices of theprior art having the objectionable accumulation of type .metal thereon which causes all the damage and expense above set forth. J The space band proper consists of what is i technically called a sleeve having slidably mounted on its back a wedge 12. The meth'bd of securing these two parts in opera'tive sliding position forms no art of this 50 (invention and is,.therefore, not sown. The device'is, however ,'1 so constructed that the front face of the sleeve and the. rear face ofthe wedge are always parallel to each eater/in all positions'of the wedge. The

linotype machine releases the space hand 'right hand side of the wedge wedge/is, as shown, thinner at its top than at its bottom so that when it is shoved up ward from the position hown in the figures along the sleeve, the. combined thickness ofthe space band, i.- c'., the sleeve and Wedge, at any point in the sleeve will be greater than is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and correspondingly when the wedge is moved downward with reference to the sleeve the thickness of the space band will be less.

The linotype machine heretofore described is provided with a track or as is known in the art rails on which these space bands are suspended by ears 14: extending from opposite sides of the sleeve and when the from the space band box, the space band drops some thirteen or fourteen inches to the assembling rails and is caught and stopped by the engagement of these cars 14 with the assembling rails except as the fall may be checked somewhat'by a buflier provided to catch. the lower ends of the space bands as they strike the assembling rails. The women these cars is, however, terrific due to this usage and the cars at least must,therefore, be made of as strong material as possible which so far as is known at the present time is of a highgrade tempered steel. Again, the minimum thickness of the space band is normally less than three sixty-fourths ofan inch in thickness, and as the wedge has to be moved up along the sleeve 10 under considerable side pressure every time a line of matrices is set as shown in Fig. 2, it is evident that these relatively thin parts must be made of high resistance material in order to do away with undue wear.

In Fig. 2 is shown a plurality of matrices 16 as they appear with the space band between them ready to have type cast from the letters which appear upon the faces of the matrices.

As heretofore fully explained, in a device of the prior art a little mountain or pile of. metal 20 accumulates, as shown in Fig. 3, on the side of the sleeve adjacent togthe matrix, which happens to come in contactwith it and this defect is cured in the device of this invention by inserting in the sleeve at this 11F oint a piece of soft metal 22 preferably rass or copper, which has no. aflinit ibr type metal. This insert 22 is made 0 such a depth that it extends just back ofthe die in the adjacent matrix 16 and of, a lengthflZO a little lon er than the height of the'tal est 1 letter whic is apt to come adjacent to it, thereby weakening as little as possible the sleeve of the space band.

Type metal does not accumulate on the 12 as viewed 1n the figures, for the reason that it is frictionally rubbed against the adjacent matrix in the'particular case here illustrated that o the letter W, in bemg forced up to his the sleeve at the vention.

When two-letter matrices are used instead of the one letter type shown in the drawings, it is only necessary. to make insert 22 of corresponding length so as to protect point where it contacts each letter of the matrix.

Having-thus described y invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A space band, for insertion between two matrices containing type dies, in which the body of the space band is made of strong wear resisting material, there being inserted at the point where, in the use of the device, the space band comes in contact with the die of the adjacent matrix, a piece of material to which type metal does not readily adhere.

A space band comprising a sleeve and a wedge therefor, the space band being made of material selected for its strength and wear resisting qualities, said sleeve be-- ing provided with a relatively small insert of material to which type meta-l does not ordinarily readil adhere said insert being located in the s eeve at that point where, in the ordinar use of the space band, type metal woul adhere.

3. In a device of the class described, a space band comprising the sleeve 10 and the wedge 12 operatively connected thereto, said sleeve 10 being provided in the edge where, in its use, it is normally contacted by type metal, with an insert 22 of a material to which type metal does not readily adhere, all of the parts being arranged and disposed as shown and described for the purposes set forth.

messes.

, THOMAS H. KN APP. Witnesses: I

DWIGHT B. CHEEVER, Max S. ROSENZWEIG.

4-. space band for insertion between two 

